


This Golden Sun

by usnolved



Category: Twilight Series - All Media Types
Genre: Edward isn't ALL bad, F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-04
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:54:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 14,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23471287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/usnolved/pseuds/usnolved
Summary: Bella Swan has been through hell. Her rapidly depleting mental and physical health worries everyone around her. The leaving of the mysterious Cullens left her in shambles, with only herself to pick up the pieces of who she once was. When an old friend makes their way back to Forks, she has no choice but to hold onto all she has left of Edward Cullen but maybe it's more than that.
Relationships: Edward Cullen/Tanya, Emmett Cullen/Bella Swan, Rosalie Hale/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 17
Kudos: 59





	1. Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms

Her lungs were burning. To be more specific, they felt they had been lit by a fire started at her own will. She ran through thick wood, her lungs practically begging her for oxygen, bare feet stabbed by thorns and sticks. The bloody scratches on her legs caused by the thick bristle should have bothered her, should have phased her in the slightest but they didn’t. One might think she was running from something and this assumption would be correct; however, she wasn’t running out of fear of being physically attacked. No, Bella Swan was running out of fear of attacking herself. She ran out of the pure internal fear that she would see his face, that she would see his face telling her that he didn’t love her. Just thinking about it brought back the piercing of her heart and the twisting of her guts. 

Ignoring the feeling, she continued to run as fast as she could. The heat in her legs, the burning of her muscles intensified and she thought she might pass out right then. Eventually it got to be too much and she knew she had to stop but her brain wouldn’t let her. A small clearing came into view and she promised herself to stop once she reached it. Black spots raided her vision and she thought the clearing couldn’t come sooner. Once she reached the clearing, she fell onto the ground while she gasped for oxygen. With her hand on her chest, she coughed violently enough to convulse. 

Once her body stopped shaking from the effect of her cough, she laid on the ground, exhaustion finally setting in. Almost at the verge of falling asleep, reality fell on her brain as she realized that falling asleep meant seeing him. Immediately, she woke up and pushed her torso off the ground. The clouds loomed over her almost disapprovingly and the trees that surrounded the clearing added greenery to the dead grass surrounding her. Slowly walking to the middle of the clearing, her legs trembled for a second and then collapsed. Her breathing became uneven and a black hole began to take over her brain. As it grew in size, her breathing turned to hyperventilation as she laid on the ground, hoping that this would be the end.

It wasn’t the end. As she focused on the green of the trees and the smell of the musky air of the forest, her breathing slowed down and the black hole began to shrink. Tears streamed down her face while a headache formed where the hole had previously been. Sobbing turned to sniffles that led to her falling asleep on the ground of the forest.  
His face appeared slowly, almost as if her brain was trying to forget the heartbreak that became his face. Eyes of gold burned into her soul and she swore her breathing stopped with the realistic image of Edward Cullen. A hard gust of air seemed to take his face with it as she jumped up from the solid ground. 

Looking around, she didn’t immediately see anyone but in the tree line she saw a familiar pale face. The face, from what she could see, had a familiar smirk resting on it, the feature looking almost natural. She played it off as an illusion caused by the heartache that seemed to sit in her chest. As she stood up, the illusion had disappeared and she sighed, the aching in her muscles was dull at this point. As she stretched, preparing to run again, the illusion appeared again. She could do anything but ignore it as it seemed to speak to her. Running as fast as she could, she knew the dangers of what lurked in the woods but her brain practically begged for one of them to appear.  
Something should have stopped her, should have told her it was a bad idea. Maybe she already knew, maybe she didn’t care. The Cullen house sat untouched, as it had for six months. Glass lined the house, Esme’s decorating skill quite obvious but put to waste over a party. She thought maybe he had overreacted, that his decision making was skewed by his bloodlust. Bella thrived off the idea that someone wanted her that badly, this toxic mindset driven by Him. She knew this but seeing his face still caused her guts to twist and the knife to wedge itself further in her heart. The love she felt for him was real, the obsession was a fad. Her depression, the black hole, swelled at the thought of ever seeing golden eyes ever again. 

Standing at the opposite tree line, on the other side of the Cullen’s yard, stood the illusion again. Hoping it went away, she stepped further towards the house. Looking over the illusion was gone but something didn’t feel right, like someone was watching her.

“Hey Bells, been a while,” the voice of Emmett Cullen chimed out, knocking the girl to her knees.


	2. The Shell Of A Human I've Become

She struggled to comprehend what was happening. Emmett, a brother to the man she loved, stood in front of her after she had been told that she would never see the family of immortals ever again. Her breathing became shallow as she considered the possibility of seeing him again, her heart couldn’t take the pain. Sobs violently racked her body as she failed to notice the broad shoulders of Emmett Cullen encasing her small shoulders. 

Bella wanted to tell him everything: how she had barely slept in six months, her horrible eating habits, and the amount of tears that she had shed for a man who never loved her. She so desperately wanted to tell him that she felt like she was dying inside, like her heart had collapsed in her chest, leaving only a hollow space in its wake. She was dying to tell him that she threw up most nights from crying to hard and that she didn’t bother sleeping because it meant seeing him again and that was worse than any exhaustion she faced.

Emmett didn’t speak, he didn’t whisper how it was “going to be okay” because he didn’t know if it was. Seeing how damaged Edward had left the teen girl made him want to find him and tear him apart. He could see every side effect of the illusion that Edward had carried out, all for the thrill of the rush and to be around his singer. Emmett knew the repercussions—the whole family did—but they didn’t stop him. Even Rosalie felt bad for the state they left her in. 

Bella was in despair and falling faster every second she didn’t hear back from the Cullens. However they didn’t know which was worse: leaving her alone with her own painful thoughts or coming back without Edward and pretending it never happened. Emmett didn’t care, he just wanted to make sure that the girl they considered family but left behind was okay. 

Emmett didn’t pretend that he knew everything would be okay, he wasn’t Alice and he didn’t want to give false hope to the already broken girl. He didn’t speak as he held her, he let her cry into his chest and curse Edward’s name and do whatever she needed to feel better. The vampire didn’t know if his family would come back, it wouldn’t phase him if they didn’t, of course for Bella’s sake he certainly hoped they would. 

Bella fell asleep. It took hours of sobbing and blubbering and protests, but she did. Emmett knew she would have a nightmare, he knew her sleep was probably plagued with images and memories of the man she hated the most right now. As he carried her into the house, he wondered just how broken she had been, he knew she wasn’t sleeping, it was fairly obvious she hadn’t been eating, but what all had his brother done to her? 

He contemplated setting her on the couch and hurrying to get her something to eat, anything would suffice as he noticed just how thin she had become. A shirt that once fit perfectly and he had seen her in plenty of times, practically drowned her in its fabric. Her limbs and face had become viciously thin, the skin which once provided warmth now almost comparable to his own. She was the living incarnation of death itself, and his own family had done it to her.

Bella’s screams were like nothing Emmett had ever heard before. The fear and pain they held were enough to break his heart but seeing her in a cold sweat, yelling out Edward’s name made him angry. His anger melted away when he saw the tears fill her eyes at the realization that he still wasn’t there, that she was still broken. Emmett sped over to the sobbing human and held her. He held her until she had fallen back asleep, and he continued to hold her even then, hoping it would provide her some comfort. It did.


	3. Eating Is Healthy, Even If You Aren't

Bella was drowning, not actually drowning as in underwater, even if it felt like that. Every memory of Edward was swimming through her head and it felt like fireworks, exploding loudly and brightly and turning to ash, quickly replaced with a new one. The memories kept coming, as soon as one ended, a new one popped up, each causing more pain than the last.  
Emmett continued to hold her, he held her for hours as the sun lowered and he realized the situation was probably the longest she had slept in six months, the thought gnawing at his brain, causing guilt to flood in and pain in his heart.  
When Bella woke up, Emmett noticed the beads of sweat collecting on her forehead as well as the glassiness of her eyes as she held back tears. 

“Hey,” he soothed her as best as he knew how, “do you want something to eat, I can get anything you want.” She immediately shook her head, the thought of eating causing bile to rise in her throat. He nodded but continued, “You need to eat something, anything, even if it’s something small.”

“I’m really not hungry,” her voice cracked as she spoke, confirming that she hadn’t talked much in the time his family’s been gone.

“I don’t care if you’re not hungry, if you don’t eat, you’re just going to get weaker. Bella, you cannot do this to yourself over Edward, he’s one person, too many other people care about you—I care about you—for you to do this,” he held her hands in his own as he looked into her eyes, which were pooled with deep sadness and she nodded.  
After eating, Bella immediately felt sick. She didn’t want to worry Emmett but her stomach was not handling the sudden intake of food well. The vampire gave her a strange look, seeing as her face had paled significantly when she ran to the bathroom as quickly as she could and emptied the contents of her stomach. She immediately felt large hands pulling her hair back as she began sobbing into the toilet. 

“I’m so sorry,” she raised her head, looking at Emmett who had already wet a towel to clean her up. He was confused and decidedly ignored her apology, cleaning her mouth and wiping her tears away gently with his fingers. 

“You don’t have to apologize, I shouldn’t have made you eat so much knowing you’re not used to it. From now on, baby steps?” His eyes were full of hope, wishing her to take his help. Joy overtook his body when she nodded weakly to his proposal.  
He picked her up, her head falling on his shoulder, eyes fluttering shut. Ignoring the tingling he felt in his body, Emmett returned her to the couch, setting her down gently. If there was one thing Emmett Cullen knew, it was that Bella Swan caused an erosion of feelings in his unbeating heart, even if she didn’t know it.  
As much as he wanted to call and check in with his family, Emmett knew that it would do no good, as they would just call Edward to alert him of Bella’s state. He hated the thought of the bronze haired vampire giving Bella the false hope he had given her before, just to abandon her when she became vulnerable. The screams that came out of her in her sleep were enough to make him forget the whole idea, he just wanted to hold her.

When Bella woke the next morning, fresh tears had escaped her swollen eyes and her throat raw from screaming. In a second, Emmett was by her side, pushing her hair behind her ears and cupping her face in his hands. No words were spoken as she cried into his chest, raw emotion spilling into the room along with the tears. The dull ache in Bella’s chest was more evident than ever as her dream showed a future she would never have with a man who never loved her.  
Emmett decided to do the hardest thing he’d ever have to do. Of course, the call had been expected thanks to Alice but was surprising nonetheless. Carlisle agreed to fly the family home, once Emmett assured them Bella was ready. No one had any idea how long it would be until she was, but they knew they had plenty of time.


	4. Without You I'm Nothing

Living had become the hardest part after Edward left. Bella felt as if no one would understand (she was right but it hurt nevertheless). Her heart ached more with each passing day that she couldn’t see him. He promised that she would never see him or his family ever again, but it felt more like a threat. It was also a lie as his adopted brother stood in the living room of the previous Cullen abode, watching Bella as she slept.  
Emmett’s unbeating heart held an ache similar to the human girl’s. Rosalie had admitted that they had not been mates, not even Alice had seen it coming. His now ex-wife had left immediately to travel the world to find her true mate. Alice promised Emmett it was for the better, not only because of the Bella situation, but her precognitive ability allowed her to see Rosalie with a tall, dark-skinned vampire with long, curly hair. Emmett had pondered why the other immortal got to see his wife’s happiness rather than him and the smallest Cullen had to reiterate: the vampire Rosalie would be with was a woman. Emmett decided it was for the best; he refused to be mad at Rosalie for not understanding herself.

When Bella woke up, she realized how long it had been since she had practiced personal hygiene. She was quick to blush with embarrassment as she remembered the immaculate sense of smell Emmett’s kind were known to have. 

“Emmett,” Bella croaked, her throat raw from screaming,”Can I use the shower? Sorry, it’s been a while.” 

Emmett hadn’t noticed the smell, he had been much too focused on the way her hair framed her face when she slept, as well as how badly his throat had begun to burn when she mentioned it.  
Nodding, he walked her to what had been Esme and Carlisle’s bathroom, it had been unused since the need to shower was nonexistent with vampirism. Even though the couple didn’t shower, Esme kept spare toiletries for events like the one they faced at the moment. He explained that he needed to hunt and she understood, the pain in her chest expanding with memories of Edward, yet again.  
Hot water poured onto Bella’s pale skin, quickly turning the flesh various shades of red. Sobs racked through her petite body, for the first time in four days she was completely alone, the hole in her heart encompassing her entire body. The heat of the water did nothing to combat the coldness her brain had provided. For ten minutes she stood under the water before she realized that Emmett would be back soon. Bella had encouraged herself to get better, for him if not herself.  
She took her time, scrubbing her scalp with mint-scented shampoo and conditioner, not realizing how greasy she had let her hair become. Subsequent to shaving, she covered her body in soap that smelled of mangoes and coconuts, inhaling the scent of cleanliness that had become a rarity for her. The lack of heat after she turned off the shower became very obvious to Bella as she wrapped a fluffy towel around herself, craving any source of heat.  
Dragging her hand across the foggy mirror, she finally noticed how horrible she looked. Her face had lost all signs of life, the bones of her cheeks more prominent than ever and her eyes had become sunken all the while remaining puffy and red. The long brown hair that sprouted from her head had become dull and thin, the cause being her lack of food. She sighed, hoping Emmett hadn’t noticed when she clearly knew he did. 

Emmett returned soon after Bella had stepped out of the shower, his nose immediately picked up the fruity scent and he smiled as he couldn’t wait to see the human girl. When he knocked on the bathroom door, Bella opened with a tint of red on her cheeks and an embarrassed smile. 

“Hey, uh, I don’t have any, um, clothes?” It came as a question despite the fact being true, neither of them had thought about the aftermath of taking a shower. Emmett’s mouth contorted to a goofy smile as he suggested that she wear his. For the first time, probably since the day the Cullens left, Bella Swan had her head thrown back in contagious laughter, spewing a beautiful, bell-like sound to Emmett’s ears.  
The Cullen boy was quick to run to Bella’s home where he could hear Charlie on the phone with someone, his voice frantic and cracking in a million different ways. While he thought about just going through Bella’s window as Edward had talking about doing a million times, he knew Charlie needed the consolation. This lead him to the front door, knocking loudly enough for the chief to hear him.

“Hello?” Charlie had never met most of the Cullens besides Carlisle, Edward, and Alice. His face was laced with confusion and pain, it didn’t a mind reader to know that he had no idea where Bella was. 

“Hello sir, I’m Emmett Cullen, Carlisle’s son, I just came here to tell you that Bella’s been at my family’s house.” Charlie immediately sighed with relief, running a hand through his greying hair. “We honestly had no idea that you didn’t know she was with us, I apologize sir.”  
He went on to explain that Bella had requested to stay a bit longer with his “family” and Edward was still absent—this obviously made Charlie very happy seeing as he had never liked him—as well as that he needed extra clothes for Bella to wear. 

“Why couldn’t Bella have come to tell me this,” Charlie was skeptical, but believed it nonetheless. 

“Alice has her on a shopping trip right now, otherwise she would be,” the two laughed, and Charlie let the vampire into the house, jokingly telling him not to snoop around her room too much. Emmett laughed as he walked up to the room he was told belonged to Bella. He grabbed a duffel bag, recognizing it as the one she traveled with to Phoenix when James entered their lives.  
After packing enough to last Bella a while and trying not to think about what he was packing as he went through her dresser, Emmett bid farewell to Bella’s father, who since learning his daughter was alright, relaxed into a recliner with a beer. 

When Emmett returned to the house after a brief trip to a supermarket, he quickly sped to the master bathroom where Bella sat on the edge of the bathtub, a towel still wrapped around her pale body. He handed her the bag with a smile which she returned before rummaging for clothes then ushering Emmett out of the bathroom. Once she was dressed, she ran a brush through her hair and began to notice how hungry she had become.  
When she walked into the living room, a sweet aroma entered her nose that led her to walk towards the kitchen. Emmett had decided to try to surprise her with a homemade dinner, unfortunately, it had been literal decades since Emmett had felt the need to cook and he was struggling. Bella laughed as Emmett attempted to read the cookbook and actually cook at the same time. 

“Sorry, not all vampires excel at everything they do,” Emmett felt bad as Bella grabbed the spatula from his hand and instructed him to read the directions to her. 

“Honestly Em, it’s fine, I actually like to cook, do it for Charlie all the time,” she smiled at him, his golden eyes capturing her full attention. She realized that Edward’s had never done that, but noted that she had always had a soft spot for the biggest Cullen. He smiled back at her, the warmth of her brown eyes soothing his brain and making his hands tingle. 

After dinner, Bella immediately fell asleep and, feeling that she deserved something better than a couch, Emmett carried the girl to what used to be his and Rosalie’s room, and set her on the bed that remained unused after many years. When he attempted to set her down, her hands remained tightly grasped around his shirt, leaving him no other choice but to lay in the bed alongside the brunette. Catching himself mindlessly stroking her forearm, he froze as he finally realized why Alice sent him to help Bella: he would become hopelessly in love with her.


	5. And The Outside Waits For Me

Screams had yet to plague Bella’s dreams, yet another rarity in her life, post-Edward, of course. Emmett laid by her side the entire night, her grip on his shirt never faltering. As the sun rose, a name slipped through the pink lips of the human, “Emmett,” he knew she was asleep, her heartbeat was steady along with her breathing. This didn’t stop his gaze breaking from the ceiling to look at the brunette.  
She breathed his name again as her grip tightened and he urged himself to not look at her. Letting out a gasp, Bella woke up, Emmett continuing to look at a specific spot on the ceiling. He could practically feel the blush on her face, he never brought it up, although his chest was swelling with pride and a smirk plastered on his pale face. 

“I need to get out of the house,” it was obvious that Bella hadn’t done much of that, yet Emmett still worried. “I’ll be fine,” she placed her hand on top of his, reading his expression. Ignoring the fireworks shooting through his hand, he smiled and nodded. 

“Where are we going?” Emmett called through the bathroom door, waiting, as Bella showered and changed into something outside appropriate. 

“I was thinking, maybe, the mall?” Emmett was confused, Bella hated shopping. She expressed that everytime Alice forced her to, why the sudden change of heart? Bella walked out, now dressed. Emmett tried to notice how her grey t-shirt was slightly low cut, the leather jacket she wore zipped up right to that point. He simply nodded, the ability to speak failing him. She grinned, her face lighting up. After putting on her Converse, the pair left the house, driving quickly to the mall.

“Which one? Blue or yellow?” Bella had asked Emmett for his opinion on everything she saw. He loved it, Rosalie never invited him shopping with her and Alice as the latter had done with her husband. 

“Um,” he pretended to contemplate, even though he already knew his answer, “Blue!” The duo laughed, having never spent this much time together. 

Bella’s eyebrows furrowed as she looked at the price tag, her smile dropping as she put it back on the rack, “It’s too expensive.” Emmett, in turn, looked at the price tag: $45.60. He laughed internally as he picked the dress back up, throwing it over his arm. She looked at him, sadness etched on her face, “I told you it was too expensive.” 

“And I’m telling you that I’m buying it for you, along with anything else you see that you even remotely like,” as Bella went to interject, he cut her off, continuing, “Before you say anything, I know that it seems like a lot to you, but I truly don’t mind if it makes you even a sliver of how happy you’ve been today, especially after everything my family has put you through.” She smiled at him, throwing her arms around his neck, tears welling in her eyes at the truly venerable creature standing before her. 

Bella doubted almost everything she tried on, Edward would have never allowed her to wear such clothes. The hole in her chest swelled with the thought of Him. Emmett reassured her, nonetheless, wolf-whistling everytime she came out of the dressing room, annoying customers and making Bella red in the face with shyness and slight embarrassment.  
After clothes shopping, Bella shyly asked if they could shop for makeup, Emmett reassuring her that he didn’t mind if it made her happy, so long as she understood that she didn’t truly need it. She agreed, simply wanting to try it, wanting to reestablish her style, jokingly saying that she wanted Alice to be proud of her. 

Bella Swan knew close to nothing about makeup, only the mascara and purple eyeshadow she had worn in middle school, only a month later deciding it wasn’t for her. Luckily for the pair of clueless shoppers, a kind saleswoman helped them tremendously, recommending what she thought best for the pale girl, from primer to eyeshadow to lipstick and much more, even giving the teen tips for application. Bella was truly happy with the purchases, despite the price, which was again assured by Emmett was “nothing”.  
Deciding that it was probably time for Bella to eat as it neared half past noon, Emmett gently pushed her toward the food court, letting her decide what she wanted to eat when he noticed Jessica Stanley and Lauren Mallory, laughing obnoxiously. They hadn’t noticed Emmett or Bella yet and he didn’t need Alice’s gift to predict the outcome. 

“Bella,” he addressed her calmly and she turned to him, “Lauren and Jessica are here. Don’t lose everything you’ve worked so hard to rebuild, they’re just people, don’t let what they say or ask tear you down, please.” She seemed to panic for a second before composing herself, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath before looking at Emmett once again. She smiled at him and grabbed onto his cold hand, grasping it in her own.

“Bella! Oh my god, it’s Bella!” Lauren’s voice was distinct, to be heard by anyone and horrible for Emmett’s sensitive hearing. The two girls ran over to where Bella stood, seemingly bracing for impact. 

“Oh my gosh, where have you been?!” Jessica didn’t let Bella answer as she continued, “Apparently, you’ve been, like, a zombie! Is it because Edward left?” She apparently didn’t have a sense of volume as she loudly announced things that were none of her business. Emmett rolled his eyes, not caring if the teens noticed. 

“Yeah, I’ve been gone,” Bella had found her voice, “I think I’ll be going back to school soon. You guys know Emmett, right?” Lauren and Jessica knew of him, they drooled over him as they had done with his brothers. 

Lauren wasted no time in digging for gossip, “So this is, what, your second Cullen?” Emmett glared at the blonde, noticing Bella’s cheeks flushing. 

“Actually, Lauren,” her voice was poison-filled, “I have better things to do than listen to you insult me for actions that have nothing to do with you or you,” her finger stung Jessica’s chest. Emmett was shocked, to say the least. As they made their grand exit out of the mall, he resisted telling Bella how extremely hot she had been. He couldn’t even fathom thinking about how hot she could be as a vampire. 

On the drive home, she had decided that she wanted something from the diner, just to take home. He happily obliged, even going inside, ordering what she told him to, then carrying it back out, ignoring the staring eyes burning into him.  
Upon their return home, Emmett noticed that Bella had fallen asleep. As he gently woke her up, she groaned, reminding him of the morning. He cringed, knowing he shouldn’t think of her like that, she was hurting. He was one of the causes of her hurt, and he was attracted to her. Emmett felt guilty, he knew the vision of Alice’s had not yet finished and figured that the guilt would eventually vanish. 

Emmett and Bella talked happily as she ate her dinner, finishing most of it, surprising even herself. She had somehow found her way into his side, not at all bothered by the cold, unlike the first few months of her relationship with Edward. During their conversation regarding her return to school, she looked up at him, their eyes meeting in what seemed like a crossfire. Gold met mahogany and it seemed only natural that their lips meet. Emmett felt an unfamiliar, heavy tug in his chest, unbeknownst to him, Bella felt a similar, albeit milder, tug in her own. As they pulled away from each other, neither of them looked away or even moved their eyes from the others.  
Miles away in London, England, Alice Cullen sat very contently in a large armchair. A blazing fire illuminated her and Jasper’s pale faces as she spoke, “Finally.” As sudden as that, Bella’s future went black.


	6. I Wanna Be Your Platonic Girlfriend

Emmett couldn’t fight the guilty feelings that came with kissing Bella. They sat, taking in each other’s presence without moving other than the human girl’s chest rising to breathe.

“Em,” He looked into her eyes, “Thank you.” Emmett was confused at her gratitude. “For months, I’ve had a hole in my chest. Every thought, memory, and reminder of him makes it larger. Even seeing you for the first time since you left did it. These last few days, it still hurts, it hurts like hell, but you’ve dulled the pain so much. Thank you, thank you for showing me that him leaving was probably a good thing.” They smiled, almost in sync. 

“He probably would’ve done something stupid anyway,” He laughed, “like get you pregnant!” They both laughed until Bella started gasping for air. When the laughter died down, Emmett’s phone began ringing.

He excused himself to the kitchen, where Alice’s frantic voice filled his ears, “Is she okay?! Is Bella okay?!” 

“Yeah?” His confusion was evident at his sister’s outburst, “She’s fine. Why?” Alice explained her lack of view at Bella’s future when he heard yelling from the living room. “Hold on Alice,” He kept the phone in his hand, just in case but ran to where Bella stood, yelling at a Quileute boy. 

“I’m fine Jake!” She was obviously angry, her face red and fists clenched. 

“They’re dangerous Bella! They just want to kill you!” Jacob Black was unknown to the vampire but he was clearly a shifter, as could be told by the stench. 

“How do you even know about them Jacob?” Bella was only slighter calmer, Jacob’s knowledge of the undead status of the Cullens worrying her more than anything. 

“Don’t worry about it Bella,” His arms crossed over his shirtless torso, the agitation in his voice was not sitting well with Emmett. 

Alice’s voice through the phone could be heard by Jacob and Emmett, the latter put the device up to his ear once again and spoke, “No, nothing’s wrong, just a mutt problem.” He hung up the phone, immediately walking to where Jacob stood, effectively making the russet-skinned boy back away. 

“What are you gonna do Cullen, huh, are you gonna kill me? Break the treaty?” Emmett tensed at the mention of the agreement between his family and the Quillettes. 

“Stop!” Bella was angry again and clearly wanted answers, “Mutt problem? And what damn treaty?” Emmett’s love for her was enough to make him walk away from Jacob. 

“He’s a shapeshifter,” Emmett scoffed, bringing back Bella’s memory of Jacob walking with her on La Push Beach.

“The legends,” Bella rolled her eyes, jaw tensed, “Were you just not gonna tell me?” Jacob’s sheepish expression forced Emmett to stifle his laughter. “You lied to me Jacob!” 

“Bella, the Cullens are dangerous, I’m trying to help you,” Jacob plead with her, though it was useless, her opinions on the Cullens’ immortal status wouldn’t change.

“Jacob, please, go home.” He stood still, confused. “Go home! Now, Jacob!” Bella had had enough of the fighting, wanting nothing more than to talk to Emmett, alone.  
After Jacob left and the chaos had settled, Bella’s glare made its way to Emmett. She wasn’t even mad about the fact that Jacob had lied to her anymore; Bella was much more angry about Emmett’s disrespectful attitude.

“What the hell was that about?” Bella’s crossed arms and tense stature gave Emmett the impression that she wasn’t very happy with him.

“I was-” he was cut off immediately cut off.

“I don’t care what you were doing, I don’t wanna see my best friend and my boyfriend fighting. I don’t want you to be like him,” her expression had quickly turned sad and she hadn’t even noticed that she called Emmett her boyfriend. Emmett did notice. 

“I understand,” he pulled her tiny body in a large hug and grinned, “so I’m your boyfriend now?” Bella blushed a bright red.


	7. Apologies Only Kill Hate, Not You

Bella woke up with a sense of unease. Her stomach burned with worry and dizziness never left her but she felt that mentioning it to Emmett would only make it worse, so she didn’t. When she saw Jacob’s motorcycle pull into the long driveway that cloudy Sunday morning, Bella figured that finishing the encounter would force the unease to let up. 

“What do you want Jacob?” Emmett didn’t feel like fighting, deciding that Jacob wasn’t worth the energy.

“I wanted to apologize,” Jacob sighed and Emmett decided that his intentions were good and led him into the large house.

When Jacob noticed Bella, who was wearing one of Emmett’s large shirts, he did not react. Instead, he began apologizing.

“Bella, I’m so sorry for the things I did and said yesterday. I have no excuses for my actions and I came to ask for your forgiveness.” His tan face showed obvious signs of remorse and the human had a small internal debate: Jacob is apologizing but why? Is it a ploy? Ignoring her own protests, she forgave him.

“Why are you apologizing to me Jacob?” Her forgiveness didn’t take away the skepticism. 

Sighing, Jacob scratched his head and spoke, “I kinda heard you and Emmett after I left the house. You held him accountable, which is something you apparently never did with Cul-Edward,” Jacob corrected himself, “But you also just seem so much happier with Emmett and, besides, I just want my best friend back.” Bella smiled and hugged the much taller boy.  
Once all had been settled between Emmett and Jacob, the latter explained his shift and the responsibilities he had as a member of the pack. He seemed distant at the idea of imprinting, stating that he didn’t particularly enjoy not being given a choice at who he was to fall in love with. The death of Harry Clearwater was brought up as he uncovered that Seth and Leah Clearwater also did not seem keen at the thought of imprinting.  
When the Quileute boy was forced to leave on account of having patrol, he hugged Bella and shook Emmett’s hand. The unstated competition between the two beings was decidedly over. Emmett had no desire to fight with someone who would eventually fall in love with someone else, especially when he knew it was something his brother would have done. 

“Wanna go to school tomorrow?” Emmett smiled as he asked the question Bella thought she would dread. 

“Yeah,” a smile formed on her lips, “I think I do. But I think I should go home tonight, Charlie’s probably malnourished at this point.” They shared a laugh as Emmett nodded. 

“I’ll drive you home,” Emmett made a quick move to grab his keys but was stopped by Bella.

“Can I have that soap, shampoo, and conditioner? The strawberry stuff I have reminds me of-” before she could finish her sentence, Emmett was standing in front of her with a plethora of mango and coconut scented products. She giggled and thanked him before following the burly vampire to his car. 

Charlie had yet to arrive when Emmett’s sports car entered the driveway. He opened Bella’s door for her and walked her to the front porch, kissing her lightly before leaving for his own house. Bella made plans to cook something complicated in order to pass the time before her father would arrive home. When he arrived close to four hours later, the meal had just been set up on the table.  
Charlie Swan was more than surprised to see his daughter, who had been almost completely dormant for nine months, nearly glowing with life. He swelled with emotion but decided to just bask in the moment and not question his daughter’s happiness. Bella talked to him throughout dinner, which pleased him, especially when she revealed she was going back to school the next day. He smiled at the thought of getting his daughter back.

“So how was Alice?” Charlie asked, causing Bella to stop. 

“Alice? Oh well you know her, always shopping!” she tried her best to hide the fact that she was lying. Bella wanted to admit that she missed Alice almost as much as she had missed Edward. Alice’s constant need to play dress up on someone had grown on the human girl, and she thoroughly missed it.

As Bella began to do the dishes, a knock began on the door and Charlie told his daughter to stay in the kitchen as he answered it. The brunette leaned against the frame of the kitchen entryway and watched the door open to reveal Emmett. A smile grew on her face and she almost ran to the door to greet him. 

“Hello Emmett, what can I do for you son?” Charlie was polite in his questioning and didn’t fail to notice the shopping bags in the large boy’s hands. 

“Hey Mr. Swan, Alice noticed that Bella left her shopping bags at our house and demand I bring them to her ‘this instant’,” the brown eyed girl swore she saw Emmett wink at her as he lied to her father’s face. Charlie nodded towards where Bella stood, red in the cheeks. 

The vampire handed her the shopping bags from their mall adventure and, when Charlie turned to look at the TV, gave Bella a swift kiss on the forehead. Emmett gave his farewells and left the Swan residence. As much as she tried, Bella’s feet seemed stuck to the kitchen floor. Once she finished the dishes, the chief heard a light ‘goodnight’ from his daughter as she retreated upstairs.  
After Bella had showered and laid out her clothes for the next day, she felt a familiar gust of wind behind her and cold arms reached around her waist. Emmett’s smile seemed synced to hers, almost as if they were meant to smile at the same time as each other. At least, that’s what Bella felt like as her warm lips touched his of ice. 

“Are you gonna stay in my room?” she pondered, almost rhetorically.

“Are you gonna let me?” his smile answered her question and she giggled softly as he played with her hair. 

“You better not try anything,” Bella scolded playfully.

Emmett held his hands up as he answered, “I’ll try not to.”


	8. Love Is The Ultimate Kindness

Bella’s stomach felt as if it was tied in knots. The knots refused to come out and they almost burned her skin. She felt like she was on fire yet refused to miss anymore school, knowing the workload would only pile up more so than it already had. Emmett’s statuesque figure met Bella at her truck, his golden eyes never leaving her pale face. Her bottom lip was caught in her teeth, a smile hidden by her shyness and long brown locks. The vampire pushed her hair behind her reddening ears and kissed her forehead.  
The whole school took it upon themselves to make comments about the couple. Phrases were repeated what seemed like thousands of times to them and Bella tried her best to ignore them. Emmett, however, found it extremely easy to tune out the small school population; he had done so for years. Topaz eyes stared into the molten chocolate pair and the burning subsided for a few seconds. That was, until gasps could be heard and hushed whispers became the loudest sounds in the halls. 

Rosalie Hale stood in the hall, no sign of anger on her face whatsoever. Her hand was intertwined with one belonging to a dark girl, curly hair surrounding her face neatly while a crimson beret was perched on the side of her head. The other girl, who didn’t do much to hide her undead features, had bright orange eyes, almost like a dark red had been mixed with a light yellow, Bella thought. The human girl’s nerves got worse with every step the other couple took towards her own pairing. 

“Hello Emmett,” Rosalie smiled, turning to the human, “Bella.” She held no usual malice in her voice, only contentment. Her velvety voice became lower, “I’ll explain at the house. After school.” Bella turned to look anxiously at Emmett as the duo walked past them. He only shrugged. 

Bella did her best to focus in her classes, though, her mind was occupied by the possibilities that Rosalie’s words brought. Was she mad at Bella? She had every right to be, she moved on from Edward in what was probably milliseconds to the immortal, with her husband no less. Even though she didn’t know the whole story of the demise of Emmett and Rosalie’s relationship, Bella could guess it had something to do with the dark skinned vampire who didn’t leave her blonde companion’s side the entire school day.  
When the lunch period arrived, Bella sat with Emmett and her friends, doing the work which had collected over the course of her four day “vacation”. She felt the eyes of the school population on her, watching to see if a fight would break out between her and Emmett’s ex. When lunch was near ending, they gave up hope and turned back to their food, disappointed with the lack of bloody noses and hair pulling.  
Emmett’s cold fingers rubbed circles on Bella’s wrist, almost as if he was taunting the pulse that beat below the pale skin. She shivered, playfully glaring at him as she attempted to finish her work. Emmett didn’t have to have Jasper’s gift to sense Bella’s stress and frustration. When the bell rang, he walked Bella to her classroom, hoping her anger would dissipate by the end of the day. 

As the day came to an end and Bella made her way to her truck, her nerves came back, pricking at her insides and burning her skin. Emmett drove in front of her, keeping his speed low enough for Bella to keep up. Rosalie’s red sports car was already parked in the driveway when the pair arrived at the house. When they walked inside, Rosalie and her friend were sat on the couch, talking in low voices. 

“Hello Bella and Emmett,” Rosalie stood up and smiled. Bella noticed how good it looked on her in comparison to the scowl she usually wore. The human smiled but didn’t respond besides that. 

“Hello Rose and …?” 

“Oh, right, this is Xolani, my girlfriend,” Emmett had never seen Rose happier than when Xolani appeared next to her, intertwining their fingers. 

“Nice to meet you,” Bella held her hand out, which was quickly enveloped by a familiar ice cold hand. 

Bella and Xolani were quick to find similarities within the other. They spoke of their love of history, the latter discussing her life during the World Wars. Rosalie and Emmett sat beside each other, both enthralled with their respective mates. 

“She’s it,” Rose spoke quietly. Emmett’s head turned towards the blonde in confusion. “She’s the one. I haven’t seen you this happy-ever if we’re being honest.” They laughed in low tones.  
“I’m sorry I held you back from your happiness,” Emmett apologized.

Rose scoffed, “You think it was all you? Em, I grew up in the ‘20s. It wasn’t exactly the perfect time to be gay, it never really is. I went my entire human life in denial of who I really was. As much as I hate not being able to grow old with the woman I love, I’m ecstatic of the fact that I was given enough time to discover who I love.” 

Emmett smiled and looked back at Bella who was engaged in a passionate discussion about the Great Depression. He knew that Rosalie was right: Bella was the one. God, was he in love.


	9. Is He Even Allowed To Do That?

Emmett hated Bella. To be honest, he really didn’t and she hadn’t even really done anything. She lay in her bed, soft breaths and his name rolling off her lips and he hated her for it. Bella had no idea what she did to the vampire, his brain went fuzzy and his control was wet sand: wanting so desperately to crumble and fall through his pale fingers.  
The act of watching her sleep brought guilt so heavily onto his shoulders, that he had to stop doing it. It felt too intimate, and almost made him feel dirty. So, instead, he stood outside her window like an off-brand Romeo, and took note of every movement made in the woods, hoping it wasn’t Victoria. The passion of wanting to kill anything that put his mate in harm’s way ran so deep that he almost wanted the redhead to show up, just so he could end her like he had James.  
When the smell of sugary bleach came into his senses, he knew it was a vampire. Who, though, he couldn’t pinpoint as he didn’t have the gifts that his siblings did, only brute strength. Fast movements rustled the trees and he crouched in a fighting stance, ready to attack whatever came through the trees. That was, until, a familiar voice called out to him. 

“Emmett, you won’t do anything, I’ve already seen it!” The raven-haired vampire only rolled his eyes, standing up. As relieved as he was to see Alice - and subsequently Jasper - it annoyed him that they decided to make their entrance in the dark, knowing he wouldn’t know who it was. 

“No ‘I’m so happy to see you Emmett!’ or ‘Sorry for almost fighting you in the woods at midnight Emmett!’?!” He mocked, hugging his siblings. 

“How is she?” a somber look crossed Jasper’s face and Emmett could only assume how he’d felt for the last six months. 

“A lot better than when we left, that’s for sure,” Emmett laughed and pushed his brother’s shoulder lightly. Jasper gave a small, crooked smile and pushed the bigger Cullen back. 

“Oh, how I’ve missed my little Bella,” Alice sighed wistfully. 

“Alice, she’s like a foot taller than you.” Even with Jasper’s years of military experience, he could not predict the tiny fist that made contact with his jaw soon after the comment. He felt a small crack and smiled at his petite wife. She grinned back at him and kissed the tip of his nose. Emmett simultaneously rolled his eyes and pretended to gag, earning him a hard smack from a small hand. 

“Hey!” Emmett looked to Alice, bewildered. He then felt a much harder smack from a much larger hand. “What the hell Jasper?!” 

Emmett sat in Bella’s windowsill, facing outwards towards the forest that surrounded the Swan residence. He patiently waited for her to wake up as dawn approached. He heard a sudden movement coming from her bed and turned his head toward her. 

“Emmett?” She confirmed it was him. “What are you doing?” 

“Waiting for you to wake up,” the vampire smiled sheepishly. 

“Oh,” she paused, then moved to one side of her bed. Throwing the blankets toward the end of the bed, she patted the open space on the bed, beckoning him over. 

As he laid down, she pulled the blanket over him and herself. Emmett’s confusion grew and he felt compelled to ask, “What are we doing?” 

Bella laughed quietly, not wanting to wake Charlie, and questioned him, “How long has it been since you’ve slept?” 

He contemplated then responded, “Since the 30s. Why?” 

“You’re gonna sleep,” she answered, confusing him even more. “Close your eyes and take a deep breath.” He did as she said and felt her warm fingertips gliding gently over his forearm. “My mom used to do this when I was younger and couldn’t sleep.” 

Emmett relaxed into Bella’s touch, slightly hoping for the sweet release of sleep. He longed so badly to be human, to grow with Bella, to lose the knowledge of the things that go bump in the night. With the brunette, though, he felt alive again, as if he never came back from the dead. Emmett craved the feeling would remain. 

Alice and Xolani spoke French with each other, annoying Jasper as he didn’t speak the language. “It’s a stupid language and the French suck,” he had claimed after Carlisle attempted to suggest it as a new skill. Rosalie watched her brother will amused golden eyes, joining him on the couch. 

“Still hate French?” Jasper only crossed his arms and nodded. Emmett strutted through the door, his arm thrown over Bella’s petite shoulders. 

“Bonjour ladies,” Emmett grinned at Xolani and Alice, “Yeehaw Jasper.” 

Turning to Bella and Rosalie, Jasper spoke very seriously, “Sometimes I wish Lincoln would have shot me himself.” The girls laughed until tears came out of the human’s eyes. 

A rustle of wind, obviously man-made stopped the laughs coming from the house. Jasper and Emmett stepped towards the door, investigating the trees. They began yelling and sped outside, tackling something to the ground. Rosalie and Xolani pushed Bella behind them, taking a protective stand around her while Alice tried to extinguish the conflict outside. 

Bella tried to see what caused the commotion but both women in front of her were too tall to view over. She attempted to run around Rosalie, only to have the blonde wrap her arms around her torso.  
“Bella, please, you don’t want to see what’s going on outside,” Rose begged her. 

“What is it? Is it Victoria?” The brunette stopped her struggle and Xolani placed a dark hand on her girlfriend’s. Hesitating, Rosalie slowly let go of Bella and with her heart beating as loud as it ever had, she walked outside. 

Seeing the person that Jasper and Emmett had pinned to the forest floor made her eyes widen and throat go dry with shock. Her brain stuttered but she eventually managed to get out, “E-Edward?”


	10. Prepare For Her Fire

When Bella thought of seeing Edward again after he had left her in the woods in shambles, she had expected to look into his golden irises - the ones that she fell so hard for - and fall at his feet, hoping he would take her back. However, as Edward’s eyes met her own, Bella only wanted to punch him. She wanted to kick him, scream, and thrash because that was exactly how she felt on the inside when he decided that she was disposable. 

“Bella, listen-” Edward began before she cut him off. 

“No, Edward, I’m done listening. You listen for once, if you think that you’re gonna waltz back into my life after how you left me, and expect me to submit to you because that’s all I’ve ever done before, right? If you think that, well, I’ve got two words to say to you, Edward Cullen: fuck you!” Bella was seething when she finished her tirade, she had tears brimming from anger and her face was flushed almost crimson. 

Edward dropped his head in defeat but said, “I understand you’re hurt, and I know I am responsible. Bella, I truly am sorry for the pain I’ve caused you, and I have caused a lot of it. Nothing I can ever do for you will make up for what I’ve done, but I can only hope that you and Emmett will be happy together. “

All of the Cullens looked around to each other, how would Edward know about Bella and Emmett? “I can read Emmett’s thoughts, and they are consumed by Bella.” Said human blushed and looked down at her shoes, though Emmett’s reaction was on the opposite end of the spectrum as he quirked his eyebrow and gave a smug smile. When Bella looked back up at Edward, he spoke again, “I have also found my happiness in another.” At that moment a woman with curly blonde hair and familiar golden eyes appeared in front of the group. “My family knows her, but Bella, this is Tanya Denali.” Bella knew he was truthful as he looked at Tanya with the same love Emmett had for herself. The look was reciprocated and Bella went to introduce herself. 

“Hey, I’m Bella,” she held her out but Tanya enveloped her into a hug.

“I know, you’re the one immune to Edward’s intrusion,” Tanya shot Edward a playful glare. 

Bella was unsure how to react at the passion that the new vampire seemed to radiate. She could only compare it to Alice’s, knowing hers was just as, if not more, intense. The brunette found it very hard to be angry when such a forgivable presence was squeezing her tightly.  
When Tanya inevitably let her go, Emmett’s arm snaked around Bella’s torso, comforting her. Bella noticed how tightly Rosalie’s hand gripped Xolani’s, then noticing the evident disgust on her face directed at her red-haired brother. The human gently nudged Emmett, subtly pointing in the blonde’s direction. Emmett gave Bella a curt nod, pulling her into the house, Rosalie in tow as well. 

“What’s wrong?” Bella immediately asked, “Aren’t you happy to see Edward? Or is it Tanya?” 

“I have no problem with Tanya, she’s lovely. Edward can’t just decide that we’re his family when it’s convenient to him. He had no problem leaving us to go to Alaska without even so much as a ‘goodbye’ and now he thinks he can just waltz in here like he never left? I’ve had enough!” Rosalie’s angered expression softened as she realized in her bout of rage that pieces of the marble island now laid on the kitchen floor as she hit it. 

“Rose, you’re right. Edward is an asshole for the decisions he made in the past six months. Y’know what? He probably knows it, too. But being angry about it isn’t gonna do anythi-” 

“No! You don’t get to say that Emmett! My anger is completely justified, you just said it yourself! What’s not helping is everyone acting like I’m not allowed to be angry that my idiot brother tore the family apart over the things he chose! No one here gets to put themselves on a moral high horse and act like this will all blow over if we ignore it and let him carry on with himself like we live in his world. Em, this is everyone’s lives we’re talking about here: yours, mine, Bella’s. He ripped them open, only caring for himself, then comes back and puts a bandaid on it, hoping that it’ll heal on its own. Well, y’know what, Em? I’m a fucking doctor.”


	11. Humans And Their Insensitivity

**A** fter Edward returned, normalcy was foreign to Bella. She felt sharp pricks of unfamiliarity with every passing day. Rosalie refused to even look in Edward’s direction and Bella almost felt the same about her former love. That’s all he had become to her: her _former_ love. Bella did have to admit to herself that she felt pride in overcoming the heartbreak that Edward left inside her. Besides that, her love with Emmett blossomed along with her friendship with Xolani. 

The London native sat on the navy blue couch in the Cullen house, reading what appeared to be a first edition version of _Great Expectations_. 

“I will never get over how creepy that is,” Bella said, head shaking in disbelief. 

“What?” Xolani’s head cocked in confusion. 

“How still you are! It’s so…” She tried to find the right word.

“-Inhuman?” Called Edward’s voice in a joking manner. Bella gave a small smile and nodded. 

Luckily for Bella, Alice skipped into the room, Jasper in tow. “Bella! I’ve been thinking-”

“Oh no!”

Alice playfully glared at the human, “I’ve been thinking, what if Xolani and Angela joined us on our weekly study nights?” 

Bella didn’t miss a beat, “Can Rosalie come? I’m sure she’d enjoy it too.” 

Everyone’s heads turned at that. Alice stuttered, “I-I mean I’ll ask, but sure!” 

It was no secret that Rosalie had immediately taken a disliking to Bella. She had everything Rose wanted and was willing to give it all up for her idiot brother. Given the choice, she wouldn’t hesitate to switch places with Bella Swan, even if it did mean having to play friends with Jacob Black. However, upon hearing the news that Bella had become a shell of a human when her family left, Rosalie’s heart softened slightly. When she knew that Emmett would proudly stand and die for the human, she had no choice but to at least _try_ to get along with her. 

Though, it still surprised her when Alice asked her to attend a “study sesh” as she called it, at Bella’s request. She grudgingly agreed to it, even though she couldn’t help but smile at the thought of having a small slice of human life. 

When Friday night arrived, Rosalie and Xolani ran hand-in-hand to the Swan residence, knowing they’d arrive at least ten minutes before the Weber girl. Rose paused for a moment in the woods, beginning to wonder if this was actually a good idea or not. Xolani took her pale hands in her own and reassured her that it was. 

Just as they walked out of the treeline, Angela was stepping out of the driver’s side of her car which was parked on the street in front of Bella’s house. Rosalie noticed another body inside the car, and could hear them groaning about “not wanting to be here”. Angela bickered with them for only a second before slamming her door and taking a deep breath. On the other side, another girl stepped out of the car. 

“Is that Lauren Mallory?” Rosalie wondered aloud. 

“Who?” Xolani asked, and never got a response. 

The two vampires continued to walk to the door, eventually meeting up with the two Forks natives. 

“Hey Rosalie!” Angela was always nice, Rose noticed, even to people who were not nice to her. 

“Hello Angela, Lauren. This is Xolani,” Rosalie introduced her girlfriend with stars in her eyes. 

Angela immediately welcomed her to Forks, noticing but not mentioning her English accent. Lauren was still trying to figure out how to say her name. 

“Zo-lahn-ee,” the curly haired girl explained and Lauren finally got it. 

Bella ushered them into the house, welcoming them and promising that pizza was on the way. Angela pulled her aside, apologizing for Lauren’s impromptu appearance, explaining that Jessica left her stranded at the Weber house after hanging out. Bella assured her that it was okay, the more the merrier, right? 

“So you’re,” Lauren lowered her voice, ” _gay_ now?” 

“Lauren!” Angela scolded her friend, already exasperated. 

“It’s okay Angela,” Rosalie assured, ”Lauren, I’ve always been _gay_ , but sometimes it’s just not the right time.” 

Lauren looked sheepishly at the ground while Bella tried to round up everyone to start studying. They began with science, which Rosalie seemed to excel in. Of course neither of the other girls knew how many times she had gone through high school, or even college. To Lauren Mallory and Angela Weber, Rosalie Hale was another beautiful high schooler, and this placed warmth inside the cold blonde. A warmth Rose hadn’t felt since she was set to marry Royce King. She couldn’t have felt more human in that moment, at least until she began to hear the heartbeats of the three humans jump at the sound of a howling wolf in the distance. 

  
_Maybe it’s Jacob_ , Bella thought. It was. Jacob was calling out to Sam, desperately pleading for an answer as Harry Clearwater struggled to breathe on his living room floor. A newly phased Leah, his daughter, shivered in fear and ran from the house, her brother Seth not far behind. It was decided on that rainy March night, Harry’s life had ended, but Rosalie’s was just beginning.


	12. It Just Never Really Appealed To Me

The weeks that followed were strange, to say the least. At last, the once gaping hole that had punctured Bella’s chest was stitched with the love of the returned Cullens using the thread of new memories from her weekly study sessions. Rosalie’s once frozen exterior had warmed up to Bella, especially considering that she was no longer ready to give up her human life so easily. The obvious tension in the house had disappeared once Edward and Tanya had returned to Alaska. 

With Edward gone, Bella felt relieved in a distant type of way. Once, she couldn’t imagine her life without him, but for the few weeks he was there, she almost  _ wanted  _ him gone. He felt like an painful itch she couldn’t reach, sore and annoying. The man she had pictured the rest of her life with was now a notch in the back of her mind. Emmett stood at the very forefront of her brain, his smiles and jokes a drastic difference from the ever melancholy Edward. She truly loved Emmett.

One rainy afternoon, Bella and Rosalie sat quietly in the living room. Emmett and Jasper were outside settling a bet: how long could Emmett wrestle a bear before a limb got removed? Alice’s tiny body stood in the pouring rain, taking bets from Jasper, Xolani, and Jacob. Bella knew if she went outside, it was sure to mean a serious cold and Rosalie already knew the answer: six and a half minutes. They watched from the tall glass windows that surrounded the house. 

“Would you like to hear something?” Rosalie asked, her eyes glued to her family outside. 

“I-I guess,” Bella answered, unsure. 

“Edward told me at one time, soon after the first time you asked to be changed, that he would challenge your request.” Rose’s honey colored eyes found Bella’s confused face, her brown hair covering her rosy cheeks like a thick blanket. 

“Challenge? With what?” 

“Marriage.” Rosalie had been furious at Edward. Well, more so than she always was. Even though they had never personally talked about it, Rose had heard conversations between her brother and his girlfriend. Bella was dead set on not getting married, she saw her own parents’ marriage fall apart and Edward was selfish enough to give her an ultimatum. 

“I-I don’t wanna get married,” she was saying it more to herself than to Rosalie. 

“I know.” Of most of the Cullens, Rosalie knew what it was like to be forced into a life she didn’t want. 

“Why would he-” 

“He’s selfish Bella. Edward is my brother and I love him as such, but he is a selfish man. I know just as well, though, that you would have married him, to please him, probably. You would have grown to resent him because he would have used your marriage to control you. To force feed you expensive clothes and cars and jewelry, even though he knows that it’s not you. He couldn’t accept that you are beautifully normal, Bella, and that is his flaw.” 

Rosalie had never spoken so honestly with Bella, and that frightened the both of them. It was then that Bella became insecure. Insecurity washed over at the very idea of Emmett proposing marriage. 

“Do you think it’s a deal breaker? Marriage? For Emmett?” If Rosalie hadn’t had vampiric sensitive hearing, Bella’s words might have flown right past her. 

Giving a light laugh and placing a cold hand on Bella’s shoulder, Rose explained, “Absolutely not, Emmett’s never truly cared for formalities, speaking of-” 

The group of vampires and Jacob piled through the door at that point, eager to tell Bella the results. Six and a half minutes. 

  
  


Sleep seemed impossible that night. The cold medicine she would take in those situations wasn’t working and Bella was desperate. She climbed out of bed, a light sheen of sweat covering her from tossing and turning, and walked quietly to the window. 

“Emmett!” She whispered loudly into the night. In a second he was standing beneath her window, warning her to step back. The house creaked as he jumped in and they both laughed breathlessly. 

“You might wanna check out a contractor or something to fix that,” he whispered, his hand caressing her jaw. 

“Do you want to tell Charlie? Or should I?” She mused. He smiled and kissed her lips lightly. 

Bella took it upon herself to deepen the kiss, worried but slightly hoping that Emmett would push her away as Edward had. Instead, he followed her lead, giving her complete control. She loathed it, knowing that she would take it as far as he let her. Bella didn’t know if she could stand the idea of having sex two doors down from her father. 

He gently pulled away from her, reminding her about Charlie, almost as if their minds were in sync. A shyness overcame Bella and she took upon herself to ask, “So it’s because of Charlie...and not because of your, uh, control?” 

Emmett would have let out a booming laugh, given the chance. “Babe, Edward has the control of a twelve year old Mormon boy who just met a girl that’s  _ not _ in the family. While he was dry sobbing in his room, the rest of us practiced control.” 

“Oh.” 

When Bella let out a long yawn, the cold medicine finally taking effect, Emmett made sure she was comfortable in her bed before dramatically exiting through the window. He reminded her of Bela Lugosi and she dreamed of Dracula that night, only the role of the prince of darkness went to Emmett Cullen while Mina was played by a pale figure with dark hair and matching eyes. 

The next Saturday she was working diligently at Newton’s, the afternoon rush taking quick effect. She had just finished ringing up Jessica Stanley’s mother, who seemed hellbent on finding out everything about her relationship to Emmett, when the vampire himself strutted up to the counter. In his hands he carried three things: a can of corn, a bag of chips, and a small bag of party balloons. 

“Do I even want to know what these are for?” Bella joked, and Emmett let out an attention grabbing laugh. 

“Oh, I don’t need any of these, I just wanted to come see you.” He smirked, leaning against the counter in a cocky fashion. Bella blushed, her hands shaking as she bagged the unnecessary items. 

“But now that I have them, I am definitely gonna see how far I can chuck em’.” 


	13. Orange Is The New Humanity

Sunday morning was calm or, at least, started off that way. Bella wasn’t needed at Newton’s until four that afternoon, so Charlie and she sat in the kitchen, him drinking coffee and warning Bella of the “bears” that were lurking in the woods. She was absentmindedly nodding, hearing but not listening to him. The “bears” he warned her of, she knew, was simply Jacob and the pack. However, the attacks they were credited with, she knew, were Victoria. A knock startled the Swans and Bella got up to answer the door. Strangely enough, Lauren Mallory stood at the door, her eyes evading Bella’s gaze. 

“Hi Bella,” Lauren said quietly. 

“Um, hey.” Bella stepped onto the porch, closing the door behind her. 

“I came over here to, uh, apologize. For being a bad friend, and a bitch. You didn’t deserve it, it wasn’t your fault that the boys wanted you, and that I have an ‘obsessive need for male attention’ according to my therapist,” her bright green eyes looked up to Bella’s stunned face. Lauren continued, “I wanted to see if you wanted to, I don’t know, maybe hang out, become real friends. I understand if you don’t, I’ve been horrible to you!” 

“Actually, I’d like that very much, Lauren.” Both girls smiled, a clean slate had appeared before them. 

The girls tried to find a common interest among them. Lauren suggested shopping, but remembered that Bella wasn’t a huge fan and dropped it. Bella proposed they check out local bookstores, but Lauren’s scrunched up nose told her that wasn’t favorable. 

“Hmm, what about the beach? I know your friend Jackson lives down there!” Lauren beamed, she had finally come up with something they both enjoyed. 

“That’s a great idea, but his name is Jacob.” Bella laughed and Lauren joined in. 

After a short drive to the beach in Bella’s truck, which Lauren admitted she admired in a “vintage sort of way”, they walked along the beach, looking at tidepools and talking about anything that came to mind. 

“How about you and Emmett, huh?” The blonde gently pushed Bella’s shoulder. 

Blushing, Bella said, “He’s just...everything, y’know?” 

Lauren nodded, “That’s how I felt about Tyler, but then he went and cheated on me so…” She gave a small laugh to lighten the mood which Bella reciprocated. 

“Edward’s got a new girl now. I thought I would feel something, anything! But it seems like all of my energy and love is on Emmett now. I don’t think I can ever feel anything for Edward ever again.” 

Lauren listened intently, and not just for gossiping purposes this time. “Good. He left you, Bella! You have no idea how many times I just wanted to shake some sense into you during your dark period. I honestly hoped that you would talk to someone, anyone about it.” 

Bella told Lauren everything she could without revealing the Cullens’ secret. She explained that her most prominent fear had come true when Edward left - that he was too good for her. She recognized the pedestal she had put him on, which he didn’t object to. 

“I just never feel that way about Emmett - that he’ll leave or that I’m not good enough. We’re on an equal playing field here and it’s lifted this enormous weight off my shoulders, Ren.” 

Without acknowledging the nickname (which she quite liked), Lauren nodded, “I bet it has. To be with someone who puts themselves above everyone else, to feel superior, is like being with a God. You almost don’t know what’s real and what’s not.” 

  
  


The two spent almost everyday together after that. Sometimes Emmett would be there, making jokes and having fun like he always did. Bella thought it was nice that Em was someone who didn’t hate her friends, or feel like they didn’t  _ have _ to get along. 

On a Tuesday morning, Lauren walked right up to Bella’s locker, holding a tube of hair dye. 

“I have to do it, Bells,” Lauren explained. 

“Do you even know how to?” 

“That’s what you’ll be there for!” The blonde exclaimed, her green eyes alight with excitement. 

“I don’t know, Ren. What if I mess up?” Bella’s teeth caught her bottom lip in a nervous mannerism. 

“You won’t!” Then the bell rang, and Lauren was off to first period, a skip in her already bouncy step. 

When Lauren got to Bella’s house that night, she noticed a new car in the Swan driveway. She didn’t question it, letting herself inside like she lived there. 

“Hey Mr. Swan!” Her voice called out to Charlie. 

“I’ve told you, Lauren, it’s Charlie,” he said in a mock stern voice, arms crossed to complete the attitude. 

Lauren laughed and walked upstairs. When she opened the door to Bella’s room, she was surprised to see Rosalie Hale sitting on Bella’s purple comforter. 

“H-hey Rosalie,” she stuttered out. 

“I’m here to help with your hair. Alice has had  _ plenty _ of hair dying moments,” Rosalie explained with a smile. Lauren laughed and rolled her eyes at Bella, amused at the lack of confidence the brunette had in herself. 

“What color are we doing?” Rose asked, her hand extended for the tube of dye. 

“Orange. It’s my favorite color,” Lauren explained sheepishly. 

“It’ll look good on you,” Rosalie assured, positive that Lauren was intimated by the model beauty in front of her. Lauren gave a big smile, ready to start the process. 

Rosalie sat the green-eyed teen in Bella’s desk chair, filling a small bowl up with the contents of the tube, then mixing it with a bottle of strawberry scented conditioner she had found in the back of the linen’s closet. After mixing, she showed Bella how to apply the dye, even letting her try it. At first, the human’s hands were shaky, but they gained firmness the longer they held the applicator. 

As they waited for the color to process, they talked about everything they could think of, from the weird teachers at Forks High, to the supposed “bears” that Lauren’s father had warned her of. Bella and Rosalie exchanged a look that Lauren didn’t catch. Oh, how good it felt to be human. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have finally figured out a posting schedule! I know this should have been done a while ago but, let's face it, it didn't. There will be two stories up (hopefully) everyday. The schedule looks something like this: Scorch and A Divine Hell; Serendipity and This Golden Sun; Woman, Scorned and Brighter Gold; Meraki and Nomad. The two that are listed together will be updated every four days if everything goes accordingly. If you haven't checked out the other stories I've listed, you GOTTA check 'em out! All of them are Twilight besides Brighter Gold, which is Pansmione from Harry Potter. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. If you did, please comment and let me know!


	14. Quick Stab at Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know! I know! It's been FOREVER! I am so sorry and I really wish I could say that everything will be super consistent from here on out but work and school is STRESSFUL, y'all! So enjoy this!

When Emmett asked her to go on a walk, Bella’s breath hitched. A familiar hindsight anxiety dropped an anvil in her stomach and she almost denied him. It had completely avoided the Cullen family just  _ how _ Edward had told Bella that they were ditching her. When he saw how her eyes widened in fear and heard her heart rate pick up, Emmett assured Bella that he would never leave her until she got tired of him. She assured him that it would never happen and they smiled, the ropes still in their hands from hanging the galaxy. 

Bella definitely ended up regretting it. Her feet were aching and the branches scratched at her arms. Once Emmett realised this, he immediately picked her up, carrying her the rest of the way to their supposed destination. As soon as he picked her up, she was being set down again, her eyes covered by cold hands. 

“Listen,” he whispered into her ear. She shivered and he asked, “What do you hear?” It was rhetorical and she knew that. Bella took in a deep breath and let herself hear the sounds of nature. The sound of running water was close and birds sang a sweet song of freedom in the distance. Bella allowed herself to let out a deep sigh, her shoulders dropping from their usual anxious state.

“How did you find out about this place?”

They had been sitting on a low branch of a tree which overlooked the stream and he shrugged. 

“I don’t really remember,” he said, eyebrows furrowed, “I wanna say it was the first time we came to Forks. Alice and Jasper hadn’t found us quite yet and Rose and Edward were so loud with each other, nothing could calm them down when they started fighting. I guess I just got sick of it, ran anywhere and ended up here.” 

For a moment, as they looked into each other’s eyes, the world was silent. No one else had ever existed, or  _ would _ . Just them, alone, water flowing beneath them into the ocean of their hearts, where love was water in abundance. 

“Everyday after you guys left,” she started, striking a chord in her heart, and thus in his, “I went to _our_ place - just to see if he would be there. I always hoped that it would be over; you would be back and everything would be back to normal. But now, I am _so_ glad that this is our new normal, Em.” She didn’t have to justify herself to him, why Edward’s leaving broke her until she was a thousand piece puzzle of hurt, yet she did. He listened, not speaking, not trying to fix her. Just listened. 

She expected herself to cry, for the life she almost had with a man she wasn’t sure she ever loved, or at least in regret of letting it go on for so long. The tears never came and they both celebrated that victory. Bella was finally healing from the spell of manipulation that Edward had put on her. It led her to wonder if Emmett would be so hesitant in changing her. The transition from human to vampire was something that Bella hadn’t thought of in months. Emmett had never made Bella feel like she was a fragile human needing protection, like she had to make the change to gain his respect. 

  
  


Emmett gave Bella a lingering kiss as he said his goodbyes. Lauren would be at her house soon and if Emmett didn’t leave, then he never would. The two were absolutely chaotic together. Bella sincerely hoped that Lauren would never be a vampire, purely because she was sure they would open a black hole or something of the sort. Adding Jacob and Jasper into the mix could be catastrophic, she didn’t even want to picture that. 

Jacob had invited Bella to a small party that the pack was throwing. He encouraged it when she had asked if the orange-haired girl could come. “The more the merrier” he had said, if she remembered correctly. Though he did specify that the Cullens were  _ still _ not allowed on Quileute land, which made Emmett huff and roll his eyes. 

“Please do not tell me you are wearing that!” Lauren, ever the fashionista, was appalled at Bella’s choice of frilly brown shirt. In Lauren’s defense, Bella had received the shirt from her mom for her fourteenth birthday. To say the shirt was adolescent was an understatement. 

“I wasn’t sure and this was the default, I guess,” Bella informed sheepishly. 

“Girl, I love you, but no.” After rummaging through Bella’s closet, Lauren managed to find a burnt orange mock-wrap blouse with long chiffon sleeves. Bella smiled, the shirt being one that Emmett had insisted she buy the day they went to the mall. It paired well with the washed black jeans she was already wearing, and the black Chuck Taylors she had yet to put on. 

Lauren helped her with a light eyeshadow look, then a small winged eyeliner, just enough to make her eyes more feline in appearance. Blush was almost never necessary to the pale brunette, her natural embarrassment provided that for her. Lauren applied a dark pink lip gloss to Bella’s pout. 

Knowing it would incite a much wanted reaction, Bella took a picture in the full length mirror that hung on her wall. She sent it to Emmett, along with a wink emoticon. Then, she waited. It didn’t take long for the dark haired vampire to respond, a short “hurry back”. 

Jacob had failed to mention that the rest of the pack had been so... _ grown up _ . While Bella was spoken for, she definitely wasn’t blind. Sam, who had been on La Push beach when Jake had revealed the Quileute legends, was standing at a solid 6’5 and built like a strongman. Though he was slightly shorter than Jake, he had a more domineering persona, he was a natural authority, and everyone knew it. Paul and Jared, who Bella only knew through Jacob’s stories, were tall and broad, with Jared a few inches taller and Paul with bigger biceps. Embry was much taller than the day she had met him, his eyes held a new ferocity in them and his hair was short, matching the others. Jacob had explained that the members would cut their hair in a sort of mourning ceremony for their youth when they had officially joined the pack. 

Embry was the first to greet Bella, Jared in tow. He spoke quickly, excited at seeing the pale girl on the rez once more. Though, this time, she held a new happiness in her eyes and a fullness in her face that she had lost. Bella introduced Lauren, whose hair Embry complimented, mentioning in passing that orange was Jacob’s favorite color. 

“I thought it was green?” Bella asked, confused. 

“It was until about a few days ago, now all he can  _ think _ of - I mean speak of,” he quickly corrected himself, “is the color orange!” 

Embry and Lauren got along nicely, with Bella and Jared left to be the reserved duo, only making funny comments when the moment arose. Paul soon made his way over to the group, a red solo cup in hand. Bella then felt the need to get herself a drink, noting she also needed to search for Jake. She was silently excused, nods of acknowledgement that she was leaving were thrown her way. 

When she made it to the table with drinks, she bumped into a large figure. Noticing the familiar smell of pine and sandalwood, Bella called out Jake’s name. He looked down at her, a smile breaking out on his face. He picked her up and spun her, declaring how much he had missed her. 

“C’mon, let me introduce you to Lauren.” Famous last words. 

A quick walk back to the group. A quick introduction. A quick glance into the green eyes of Lauren Mallory. A connection, a future, an imprint. Jacob’s knees buckled and Embry and Jared were quick to catch him, hollars of joy coming from all members of the pack. 

Bella smiled, “Well, I guess they get to tell you now.”


	15. Way of Living and Dying

Bella’s return to her house was relatively uneventful. Jacob assured his best friend that Lauren would get home safely, and Bella had no reason to not believe him. She texted Emmett right before she left the smoky beach, where drunken teens lazed on the sand before the dark ocean. 

Of course Charlie was asleep on the couch, some random game blaring loudly through the house. Bella turned off the television and placed a blanket over her father’s snoring body. Before she went upstairs, she placed a glass of water on the end table beside Charlie’s head, just in case. 

It didn’t shock her when she saw the large body of her boyfriend laying on her bed, which had almost sunk to the floor under his weight. 

“Hey babe!” Emmett’s smile was contagious. “How was the wolf party?” 

“Good,” she laughed as she took off her jacket, “Jake imprinted on Lauren.” 

Emmett gasped dramatically, emulating the teenager he was  _ supposed  _ to be, “Really?!” 

“Yes, now get off my bed before you break the damn thing!” 

He smirked at that, “Oh, trust me, we’ll break plenty of beds.” 

“I hate you.” 

“Only ‘cuz you love me so much!” He kissed her temple, then her nose, then her lips. She was hesitant for only a second before she decided to deepen the kiss, testing the waters. Emmett responded exactly how she had hoped he would, trailing his hands down the front of her shirt, then sliding under it. Goosebumps rose on her stomach from his chilled skin. 

When he broke away from her, Bella worried that she might have pushed him too far, tested too many of his limits. Her fears were calmed when, instead of pulling away completely, Emmett tugged on the bottom of her blouse, a question. In response she lifted up her arms. He pulled the fabric off of her pale body, revealing a baby blue bra covered with lace, one of the only _sexy_ undergarments - or even garments, really - that she owned. His pupils dilated in a way that she had grown to associate with hunger, or bloodlust, but she was absolutely positive he was not looking for blood. 

A small gasp left her mouth when she felt herself being pushed onto her bed. His hands reached for the button on her jeans but his eyes were focused on hers, another question. She nodded fervently, and even reached for the button herself in an eager fashion. He chuckled at her excitement. The passion came to a somewhat halt when she reached for the button on  _ his  _ jeans, though. 

“Bella,” she frowned at his tone, the familiar pressure of future tears building behind her doe eyes, “I want to, really, but I don’t think your first time should be with your father asleep downstairs. You should be able to thoroughly enjoy yourself, we both should.” 

“But you…” She gestured toward her lack of shirt and unbuttoned pants. 

“I didn’t say  _ you _ couldn’t enjoy yourself, did I?” Emmett smirked when she smiled, throwing her head back onto the pillow. “But you have to be quiet, babe.” 

She nodded, feeling the tension rising in her chest once more. Bella arched her back, reaching behind herself. Emmett was confused until he heard the clasp of her bra come undone. 

“You minx,” he practically growled at her. She laughed and he swore it was the best sound in the world. That was, until he tasted her and heard her moans.  _ That _ was the best sound in the world. 

  
  


When Bella woke up the next day, she swore it was a dream. She hoped it wasn’t, but swore it was. There was absolutely _no_ way that anyone could be that good at what Emmett did. Her legs shook just thinking about it, reminding her of exactly how real it had been. 

That Sunday, Bella decided to go to the Cullen household, allowing Jacob and Lauren some time alone. After making breakfast for herself and Charlie, she gave her father a goodbye kiss on the cheek before heading out to her truck. Emmett, of course, heard her truck coming from miles away, and was already outside when she pulled into the driveway. He hugged her fiercely, an excited smile adorning his perfect face. 

“What?” She laughed at her boyfriend.

“I have a surprise for you!” His voice sang. 

“Aw, I don’t like gifts, Em!” 

“Luckily for both of us, it’s not material. Well, technically.” Bella’s confusion didn’t have much time to fester before Emmett was pulling her towards the house, his speed almost giving her whiplash. As he opened the door, he covered her eyes with his large hands, though, one surely would have sufficed. 

“I hate surprises.” 

“You won’t hate this one, promise!” He lifted his hands from her eyes to reveal the pale faces of Carlisle and Esme standing in the living room, nervous at the human girl’s reaction. 

She ran over to them, hugging them as if it would be the last time, tears springing to her eyes. They flowed down her cheeks in a salty manifestation of pure agony and yearning for the missing parental figures. They had no other choice but to hold her in return, giving soft promises that they would never leave again. Though, she had heard that before. Bella decided it best not to dwell. 

“I missed you guys,” she exclaimed as she rubbed the tears from her face and neck with the sleeve of her sweater. 

“Oh, honey, we missed you too. We cannot tell you how sorry we are for not seeing that you needed us as much as we needed you.” 

“You guys needed me?” Bella’s eyes were the reincarnation of purity in that moment. 

“Of course we did. You expanded our horizons, taught us things you can’t learn from books or centuries of living. You, Bella Swan, brought us together, healed us in ways we hadn’t seen before.” 

That much was true.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well guys, we're almost at the end of TGS. we still have a few chapters left and then you should be on the lookout for the sequel!! the sequel will cover aspects such as victoria and TGS's version of breaking dawn, which will be QUITE different ;) in the meantime, thank you SO MUCH for all the love you've shown and i appreciate each and every one of you deeply. i love you all and hope to see for the sequel!!


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